Edo prints
| Design: | Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) | |||||
| Title: | Ryōgoku Ekōin and Moto-Yanagibashi bridge | |||||
| Series title: | One hundred famous views of Edo | |||||
| Size: | 33.7 x 22.4 cm (ōban) | |||||
| Posthumous printing from newly cut woodblocks | ||||||
| Photography: | Jacques Commandeur |
|
|
Originally published by Uoya Eikichi ca. 1856.
In the view on this print we are standing on the grounds of Ekōin temple located just south of Ryōgoku bridge on the east side of the Sumida river in Edo, looking westward towards Moto Yanagibashi bridge in the middle distance on the westbank of the Sumida and towards Mount Fuji in the far distance. The huge red drum partly visible in the top of the wooden tower displayed in the foreground of this print was used to announce the start of sumo matches held outside the main hall of Ekōin temple. For more details concerning Moto Yanagibashi bridge and Ekōin temple and the sumo tournaments held on its grounds, please see my second website here and here, respectively.
Artist’s signature in red rectangular cartouche at middle left of the print:
| Character | Reading | Meaning | Translation |
| 廣 | hiro | broad | |
| 重 | shige | heavy | Picture by |
| 画 | ga | picture | Hiroshige |
Series title in red rectangular cartouche at top right of the print:
| Character | Reading | Meaning | Translation |
| 名 | mei | distinguished | |
| 所 | sho | place | |
| 江 | e | bay | |
| 戸 | do | door | |
| 百 | hyakku | hundred | One hundred |
| 景 | kei | view | famous views of Edo |
Print title in square green and white cartouche:
| Character | Reading | Meaning | Translation |
| 両 | ryō | both | |
| ご | go | ||
| く | ku | ||
| 回 | e | game | |
| 向 | kō | facing | |
| 院 | in | temple | Ryōgoku Ekōin |
| 元 | moto | former | |
| 柳 | yanagi | willow | |
| 橋 | hashi | bridge | Moto Yanagibashi bridge |
References
- Bicknell, Julian (1994). Hiroshige in Tokyo. The Floating World of Edo. San Francisco: Pomegranate Artbooks.
- Smith, H.D., and Poster, A. (1986). Hiroshige. One Hundred Famous Views of Edo. New York: George Braziller.
- Trede, Melanie, and Bichler, Lorenz (2010). Hiroshige. Meisho Edo hyakkei. Honderd beroemde aanzichten van Edo (Hiroshige. One hundred famous views of Edo). Köln: Taschen.
Provenance: Fuji Arts